MWB wrote:To be fair, he didn't want it leaked. Emmert didn't tell Erickson to keep it from the BoT, he just said make sure it's not leaked. Erickson made the decision that he couldn't trust the BoT not to leak it.

Then he's an idiot, because I think it's pretty obvious that not everyone was ok with this and he's given this guy the avenue to pursue a lawsuit.

I'm sure he knew not everyone would be okay with it, that someone would leak it, and that he felt it was the best deal. Then he probably hoped that despite segment of the BoT that didn't want it, they wouldn't go the route they've now gone.

jimjom wrote:Is that something that puts its status in the American Association of Universities?

The warning was issued by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Universities, a regional body that oversees the standards of higher ed and degree programs in the "middle states," PA, MD, NJ, et al. There are Middle States oversight bodies for primary and secondary schools, also.

I may be naive, but I don't get this, and I'm going to ask someone I know at the school where I work. Can anyone else here shed any light on this?

Accreditation essentially deals with assessment of whether a school attains and sustains certain educational standards (academic rigor, depth and breadth of major requirements, requirements for graduation, who is teaching the students and how, etc.). An article about this in today's online Chronicle of Higher Education mentions that the accreditation board wants to make sure the PSU's finances and governance standards meet academic accreditation standards. I don't see how their ability to do so now is deficient compared to the last time PSU was up for reaccreditation, horrible scandal or no horrible scandal.

This brings me back to the Freeh report. I'm surprised that Middle States, an academic body, cites this particular report as basis for the warning. While the report attempts to present an exhaustive postmortem as to what happened, it does not pass the necessary tests for soundness in methodology and in drawing conclusions on which policy (especially punitive) may be devised and enacted. Many of my colleagues across higher ed and I maintain this stance.

"We must be clear about what this warning means so there are no misunderstandings," said Blannie Bowen, vice provost for academic affairs, who also is the University’s accrediting liaison officer. "This action has nothing to do with the quality of education our students receive. Middle States is focusing on governance, integrity and financial issues related to information in the Freeh report and other items related to our current situation."

Erickson said that, "The commission wants us to document that steps we have already taken and are planning to take will ensure our full compliance with its requirements. I am confident that we will provide that documentation by the Sept. 30 deadline Middle States has given us." Further, Erickson said, "We are a University that is fully committed to its core values of honesty, integrity and community. We are a University that will rebuild the trust and confidence that so many people have had in us for so many years."

So it has absolutely nothing to do with academics. Essentially the Middle States realized that those in the past that were in power (the same 4 that are always in question) weren't doing their jobs so they want to come and make sure the people that are there now are doing what they should be.

count2infinity wrote:Not worried one bit about this. It's just the Middle States doing their job. Something bad happened, they need to come through and remind everyone to not mess up again. No way PSU loses accreditation.

Andrew Sullivan brings us this incredible quote from Father Benedict Groeschel, who is the director of the Office for Spiritual Development for the Catholic Archdiocese of New Yor

People have this picture in their minds of a person planning to - a psychopath. But that's not the case. Suppose you have a man having a nervous breakdown, and a youngster comes after him. A lot of the cases, the youngster - 14, 16, 18 - is the seducer ... It's not so hard to see - a kid looking for a father and didn't have his own - and they won't be planning to get into heavy-duty sex, but almost romantic, embracing, kissing, perhaps sleeping but not having intercourse or anything like that.

It's an understandable thing ... there are the relatively rare cases where a priest is involved in a homosexual way with a minor. I think the statistic I read recently in a secular psychology review was about 2%. Would that be true of other clergy? Would it be true of doctors, lawyers, coaches?

Here's this poor guy - [Penn State football coach Jerry] Sandusky - it went on for years. Interesting: Why didn't anyone say anything? Apparently, a number of kids knew about it and didn't break the ice. Well, you know, until recent years, people did not register in their minds that it was a crime. It was a moral failure, scandalous; but they didn't think of it in terms of legal things.

my wife's grandmother just bought us a baby book that had the pope on the cover with a bunch of kids. it's currently in the back of some closet in our house and will never be read to or read by our child. i don't mind Catholicism, but the clowns who operate it are another thing.

shmenguin wrote:my wife's grandmother just bought us a baby book that had the pope on the cover with a bunch of kids. it's currently in the back of some closet in our house and will never be read to or read by our child. i don't mind Catholicism, but the clowns who operate it are another thing.

shmenguin wrote:my wife's grandmother just bought us a baby book that had the pope on the cover with a bunch of kids. it's currently in the back of some closet in our house and will never be read to or read by our child. i don't mind Catholicism, but the clowns who operate it are another thing.

Andrew Sullivan brings us this incredible quote from Father Benedict Groeschel, who is the director of the Office for Spiritual Development for the Catholic Archdiocese of New Yor

People have this picture in their minds of a person planning to - a psychopath. But that's not the case. Suppose you have a man having a nervous breakdown, and a youngster comes after him. A lot of the cases, the youngster - 14, 16, 18 - is the seducer ... It's not so hard to see - a kid looking for a father and didn't have his own - and they won't be planning to get into heavy-duty sex, but almost romantic, embracing, kissing, perhaps sleeping but not having intercourse or anything like that.

It's an understandable thing ... there are the relatively rare cases where a priest is involved in a homosexual way with a minor. I think the statistic I read recently in a secular psychology review was about 2%. Would that be true of other clergy? Would it be true of doctors, lawyers, coaches?

Here's this poor guy - [Penn State football coach Jerry] Sandusky - it went on for years. Interesting: Why didn't anyone say anything? Apparently, a number of kids knew about it and didn't break the ice. Well, you know, until recent years, people did not register in their minds that it was a crime. It was a moral failure, scandalous; but they didn't think of it in terms of legal things.

Andrew Sullivan brings us this incredible quote from Father Benedict Groeschel, who is the director of the Office for Spiritual Development for the Catholic Archdiocese of New Yor

People have this picture in their minds of a person planning to - a psychopath. But that's not the case. Suppose you have a man having a nervous breakdown, and a youngster comes after him. A lot of the cases, the youngster - 14, 16, 18 - is the seducer ... It's not so hard to see - a kid looking for a father and didn't have his own - and they won't be planning to get into heavy-duty sex, but almost romantic, embracing, kissing, perhaps sleeping but not having intercourse or anything like that.

It's an understandable thing ... there are the relatively rare cases where a priest is involved in a homosexual way with a minor. I think the statistic I read recently in a secular psychology review was about 2%. Would that be true of other clergy? Would it be true of doctors, lawyers, coaches?

Here's this poor guy - [Penn State football coach Jerry] Sandusky - it went on for years. Interesting: Why didn't anyone say anything? Apparently, a number of kids knew about it and didn't break the ice. Well, you know, until recent years, people did not register in their minds that it was a crime. It was a moral failure, scandalous; but they didn't think of it in terms of legal things.

What the frickety f**k??????

Hey, Father, how about you mind your own lurid and heartbreaking scandal, 'K?

The whole world's lost its head. (And I'm not talking about the Go-Gos song.)

Penn State legend Franco Harris has defended his former coach, Joe Paterno, through the Jerry Sandusky trial and conviction over child sexual assault and the Freeh Report.On Saturday, Harris took things to a new, creepy level by having a Paterno cutout join him in watching the Nittany Lions play the Ohio Bobcats from a luxury box with a sign attached that read: “Due Process For PSU JVP” – with “JVP” clearly standing for Joe Vincent Paterno.We realize that Harris is upset about the way people have already convicted Paterno in the court of public opinion for not doing enough to stop Sandusky, but stunts like this are just going to turn Harris into a national punchline instead of restore Paterno’s reputation.

I may not agree with his stance of JoePa's innocence, but if he wants to be there to support the family I can understand it.

But a cardboard cutout that will be seen by thousands via those in attendance, a few hundred thousand watching on TV, and eventually those of us who are bumping around on the internet on a long weekend? I think that's a bit much.

I don't mind him taking the stance he takes. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but the majority of those here at PSU as well as most alumni just want to move on from the Joepa era and get back to being PSU. The players and coaching staff don't need him there having Joepa cutouts making big statements like this.